CAPA will manage New Albany's community amphitheater

Tuesday

New Albany City Council on Oct. 1 approved a resolution giving the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts the role.

Council members voted 5-0 in favor of the resolution, with Marlene Brisk and Mayor Sloan Spalding absent.

The amphitheater will be adjacent to the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 W. Dublin-Granville Road, which CAPA also manages.

CAPA president and CEO Chad Whittington said CAPA has been involved in the management of the McCoy Center since 2013 and management of the amphitheater is a natural extension of CAPA’s role.

“There will be natural synergies and efficiencies that will result from the two performance spaces being next to each other that will add an exciting new dimension to New Albany’s arts community,” he said.

“I expect that the amphitheater will host a diverse slate of performances ranging from national touring artists to local arts organizations.”

According to a nonbinding memorandum of understanding among CAPA, New Albany and the McCoy Center, CAPA will provide specific services during the amphitheater’s operating season, typically April through October.

City Manager Joe Stefanov said he plans to bring additional legislation regarding the amphitheater to council members this month and in November. The CAPA agreement will be helpful in determining programming for the facility, he said.

“It is just another piece of the puzzle that we need to put in place,” he said.

The services include creating the amphitheater’s programming calendar, providing a staff member on site for all amphitheater events, securing performers and working with the city, the McCoy and other community partners to find grants and funding.

According to the agreement, the McCoy Center also will provide an audience-service manager and technical director during the amphitheater’s season.

According to a legislative report to council members, the total annual operating cost for the facility is estimated to be $80,000. About $20,000 of that will go toward the CAPA agreement.

The amphitheater will be built by the New Albany Community Authority and primarily will be funded by grants, naming opportunities and money raised by the New Albany Community Foundation. After the facility is built, New Albany will own it.

The estimated cost of construction for the amphitheater is $7 million.

Craig Mohre, executive director of the New Albany Community Foundation, said the community authority would work with the construction manager during the project but would not fund it.

Mohre said $5.2 million in funding has been identified to date. He said he still hopes to break ground this fall.

Construction is expected to take about a year, he said. Corna Kokosing will serve as construction manager.